Data Scientists are in High Demand.

As digitalisation disrupts all areas of industry, the role of the Data Scientist will only grow in demand.

Business will have to use data to make decisions, and it is exciting to anticipate a time when processes across the whole business spectrum will be optimised by Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and data analytics.

At the top end, a well-established career in Data Science could look to earn you an annual salary in the region of £100,000. No wonder it’s been dubbed “The sexiest job in Tech”!

Many Data Scientists hold a PhD or a masters degree in a numerate discipline. Think maths, stats, economics, operations research and of course computer science.

Employers would also offer bonus points to those professionals who have been exposed to Big Data or large datasets.

Strong numerate academic achievement as well as technical skills are key!

Academic achievement alone will not get you a job in data science. You need technical skills: Python, SQL, R to name a few.

If you aren’t currently in the possession of the skills needed to get involved, then never fear! There are definitely other avenues to explore. Bootcamps and further educational opportunities are springing up everywhere.

This is our comprehensive guide to the best Data Science bootcamps in the UK.

The Best Data Science Bootcamps in the UK.

Who’s on the list…

1. The Data Lab2. S2Ds3. Cambridge Spark4. ASI Data Science5. General Assembly6. The Data Store7. The Analytics Dojo8. Framework Training9. JBI Training10. Step Functioning11. Learning Tree12. University of Warwick13. The Department for Continuing Education at The University of Oxford

The Data Lab

The Data Lab has teamed up with the leading US data science training organisation, The Data Incubator. They are bringing their eminent 3-week programme to Scotland later in 2018.

This 3-week course will provide an introduction to Data Science and Machine Learning as well as data visualisation. It will use the practical application of skills.

The course will use real-time data to address real-life business issues as a learning tool. Each module will build upon the previous one, although attendees can sign up to take individual modules if they wish.

S2Ds

Making the transition into Data Science can be difficult if you’ve never worked in the industry before. Science2DataScience offers those professionals already in possession of an analytical PhD or MSc a way into Data Science.

This course has theoretical and practical applications as well as a strong foundation in professional development through its substantial networking opportunities.

This course uses commercial data science problems from a range of different companies.

Real-time data from companies of varying sizes are used as the basis of the syllabus. It’s sink or swim time, as students are fully immersed in the data from day one.

Not for beginners, this course requires at least an MSc in an analytical science, and it is desirable that attendees will already have skills in programming languages such as Python, Java or R.

It is also preferable that you will have had exposure to maths and stats.

Students will need to be eligible to live or stay in the UK for the duration of the 5 week course.

The registration fee for this London based data science course is £800 and is also available online via the virtual programme.

Cambridge Spark

Cambridge Spark is 6 month, part-time data science course is held over the course of 10 weekends in London.

It has been designed to equip students with the most relevant data science skills through hands-on training, independent learning and collaborative projects.

Over the duration of the course, attendees will work with one to one mentors and build professional projects based on real-world data.

The completion of which will culminate in an industry recognised certification.

Although no educational criteria is specified, applicants are required to have elementary Python programming knowledge alongside experience with the command line, basic probability and linear algebra.

The course offers 2 different tracks; The Professional Development Track and The Data Science Career Track.

The latter is probably the more favourable, offering career support and opportunities to network with hiring companies.

General Assembly

Throughout the programme, attendees will work on projects analysing data sets using real-world problems. At the close of the course, students will showcase their findings using statistics, programming, data modelling and business knowledge.

Also on offer is job and career coaching from industry experts and networking opportunities with a host of global companies. Attendees are also assigned an in-house career coach designed to help find work after completion of the course.

Such a comprehensive and holistic approach does not come cheap though. This particular data science bootcamp will set you back a whopping £10,000.

Data Science Dojo

Students will cover all areas of data science including data exploration, visualisation and feature engineering.

They will use algorithms and Big Data Engineering to complete an Internet of Things project.

There are different packages available and will cost the sterling equivalent of approximately $3000.

Framework Training

These data science bootcamps offer both Data Science and Big Data training across a wide range of London locations. They comprise of 1, 2 or 3-day courses and start off within a price range of £1,500 – £2,000.

JBI Training

JBI Training is a 5 day, £2500 course aimed at professionals of every level. It uses the R programming language and offers a comprehensive introduction to Data Science, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.

Students will use open source tools to cover the following concepts within the Data Science ecosystem:

Simple coding with R

Unstructured data

Categorising data

The prediction of outcomes with regression techniques

Detecting patterns in complex data

Learning from data examples with neural networks

As well as the theory and practical application of these concepts, students will also learn to implement analytics within their current role and organisation.

Step Functioning

It uses Python to cover the theory and practice behind advanced machine learning and also delves into such concepts as data wrangling and clustering.

This course is practical, project-based and is aimed at those professionals who are business orientated with an analytical mindset.

Class sizes are small, with a maximum of 10 students per class. This low tutor/student ratio means that attendees get a lot of bang for their buck!

Any students who may be unfamiliar with the Python language before the course will be given help to learn it.

That being said, organisers do recommend that attendees do have some prior programming experience. As with many Data Science bootcamps, it is also highly advantageous to have a significant competency with number and mathematics.

The Department for Continuing Education at The University of Oxford

The Introduction to Data Science course is the more basic of the two, covering the possibilities and concepts of Data Science.

It looks at algorithms and the use of software across the discipline and how we may use these to analyse data and implement strategy accordingly.

It is assumed that students wishing to enrol in this course will be highly numerate and have an interest in data and its possibilities.

This course spans 2 days and will cost £175 to attend.

The Applied Data Science course is slightly more expensive and with that more detailed.

Over the course of 10, 2-hour meetings students will look at concepts such as cloud-based Big Data, Data Cleaning, Data visualisation, Data Analysis and the principles of usability. This course will cost £215.

Finally…

As is evident from the listings above, the scope for bolstering your CV into Data Scientist territory is varied and wide-ranging.

We have tried to include Data Science bootcamps that suit every budget, ability, timeframe and end goal.

It goes without saying that should you wish to upskill via online platforms using tutorials and learning hubs your options are more varied.

Many of these are free and the modules quick to complete. It is worth mentioning, however, that while a fantastic resource, they do have limitations. Should you be a beginner with little or no experience you are probably better suited to a taught, onsite syllabus with access to tutor guidance and support.

The networking opportunities of location-based training cannot go unmentioned either. Exposure to hiring managers and esteemed Data Scientists is not something that online portals can provide.

We hope you have found this guide informative and useful. However, should you have unanswered queries or questions, head over to the candidate resource guide on our blog where we offer more advice on how to get a job in Data Science.

About the author: As a founder of Ignite Digital Talent, I lead our brilliant team to ensure we deliver time and time again for our clients. I also stay closely networked with industry influencers to ensure we are well placed to understand the issues and challenges our clients face.